Don't rely too heavily on the salesperson's recommendation; their experience is usually limited, and their personal and corporate biases can be huge. (Usually they'll claim the brands and models they have in stock are "best.") You can Google less biased reviews on the Internet.

Camcorders come in both low-cost consumer, and higher-cost "prosumer" models. Fortunately, for amateurs, the lower cost consumer models get the job done very nicely. Choose from the middle of the price range and you should be fine.

Try to physically hold several models before you make a buying decision. Today's smallest models may be too small for those with big hands.

Check out specs for battery life. You will probably want a spare battery anyway, but carrying a dozen spares for insurance doesn't make sense if longer lasting batteries are available. Batteries and DV tapes are two consumables to file under: always carry a spare.

Get a camcorder that comes with a remote control. Remotes are handier than you might think, in more situations than first imagined. They allow you to set up the camcorder in tight corners where you can't get behind it to shoot. They are also great when you are wearing multiple hats, such as the camera operator and the on-camera interviewer.

Ignore the models that record video to DVD or hard drives rather than DV tape. DV tape provides the best quality input for your video editing program. Also avoid cheaper analog camcorders for the same reason. The camcorder's job is to record great images and sound to DV tape, to provide high quality raw inputs to the video editing software.

Camcorders Part Two: Camcorder Accessories.
 

Copyright 2006-2007 John Cardiff